Photo Credit Jon Tyson – Unsplash
By Pamela Walsh
Over the course of most of the last two years, the world has witnessed great pain and suffering from Covid. The pandemic thrust people into something that most have never experienced before. There were no gradual steps taken; it was sudden, immediate and turned peoples lives upside down. Although isolation was needed to stop a deadly disease that was spreading at a pace that science struggled to keep up with, the human sacrifice came in many forms. Suddenly, we were not able to celebrate major holidays with family and friends, or attend the faith gatherings that were important to many of us. The need to isolate, often only having contact via a phone or computer, resulted in loneliness and chaos for many. All of this was something that we had to try to come to terms with and that was not always easy.
Undoubtedly, some suffered more than others. Families lost loved ones, yet were not able to adequately grieve. Children had to suddenly be away from their friends, leading to a new norm that they had very little ability to understand or embrace. Healthcare workers who worked tirelessly were often the only people to attend to the emotional, physical and spiritual needs of the sick and dying, dealing with the trauma and grief day after day after day.
Over and over again, we have heard people taking their own lives and the far reaching impact those deaths have had. We have heard, too, how people are turning to drugs and alcohol to cope, leading to skyrocketing overdose deaths. And who can forget the stories of seniors in long-term care often having to stay in their rooms alone for a very long period of time, not being able to have visitors or only through a window. These are the real faces of the hardships caused by the pandemic; they are graphic images of people lost in many different ways, physically, emotionally, spiritually; wounded on many different levels.
As we slowly inch out of the pandemic, we need to rebuild our lives and our relationships, but how can that be done? How do we rekindle the art of being together? Allowing people once again into our inner circle. How do we begin the art of interpersonal face-to-face communication? How does that now one-year-old child suddenly relate to a person who is a stranger only seen on a video screen? How do we sit with those who have lost someone a year ago, but have not been able to have a funeral, or a parent that no longer knows anyone because, not only were they in isolation, but the dementia has taken their memory? How do we reach out when some now are so scared and afraid to touch? The art of communication, through touch and closeness, has in many ways been a casualty of the pandemic.
How do we reach out? How do we journey with someone who is struggling with whatever losses the pandemic has brought into their lives?
Over the past year, there have been accompaniment workshops, which have explored different aspects of how to walk with deeply wounded people who were the victims of clergy sexual abuse. In that time, it became apparent that there was a need for people to accompany other broken and bruised people. The original workshops lead to the idea of a two-year accompaniment program on several different topics. That program is still being explored and developed. The need for people to be able to accompany, walk with or just listen is not natural for everyone. We heard the calls from people who wanted more education to be able to help those who are hurting, without causing further wounds. The Archdiocese, through the victim service and advocacy position, is excited to bring a series of zoom workshops on the topic of accompaniment. They will be hosted by and looked at from the differing perspectives of a professional counsellor, a victim of clergy sexual abuse and other traumas, and a spiritual director. Each workshop will be a stand-alone presentation, but will also have common threads throughout. People can attend one or all of the presentations. The topics of compassionate communication, mental health issues, woundedness and grief and loss will be examined and discussed from the perspective of accompaniment from a trauma informed perspective.
Each workshop is free of charge and presented in a zoom format; no one will need to leave the comfort of his or her home. The first workshop will be January 16, 2022 from 1-5 pm. The remaining three workshops will be held on April 24th , September 11th and November 19th 2022. If you want to learn more or would like to register, we encourage you to contact Pamela at [email protected] we look forward to seeing you on January 16, 2022.
